Thursday, March 29, 2007

Starting something new?Join us for the IDEA Cafe this Friday, 2 p.m.We now meet every week. RSVP at http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1This week we'll brainstorm how to best run a write-incampaign for Mayor (see letter below.)

Dear Friend,

I believe we need to start an Internet campaign to recruit write-in candidates for Mayor of Denver.

Have you read The Long Tail? The Internet has changed the distribution of sales per item, so that best-sellers are now outsold by the combined sales of the long tail ofall the other items. See http://longtail.typepad.com/

If we get enought people encouraging friends and neighbors to write them in for Mayor, I think that long tail could force a run-off election and we could free ourselves from J-Hic.

In the interview the Mayor gives the impression that attendance and everything else at the DAM is just fine. He is either totally uninformed or a liar, and I'm not sure which is worse!

On March 23 a staff meeting was held at the DAM announcing massive layoffs becauseof the very poor attendance and the construction problems which have created anadditional $3million loss since the opening of the new addition.

I sent out a couple of emails about this idea of an Anyone but J-Hic to a few friends and a copy got to Fred Brown at the Denver Post. He called me and told me he'll be writing about it in Sunday's paper. Here's a copy of his email to me:

I left a message on your phone. I'm thinking about writing about your ABJH campaign for this coming Sunday. But I seem to have lost the first e-mail -- the one about problems at the DAM addition. Could your resend it? Thanks.

Fred Brown

We will be discussing the ABJH at the IDEA Cafe this Friday, and brainstorming ways someone could become Mayor of Denver through a write-in campaign as word about the Mayor's performance on the Rosen show spreads. (listen to it now by clicking on the above link.)

Lot's of people are dissatisfied with the performance of the Mayor, but the media love-fest with him has allowed him to skate around that dissatisfaction. But the fact is he was responsible for the poor job done last fall with the elections, the poor job done with snow removal, the poor job being done with the homeless, the poor job being done with the jail and the new Justice Center.

Then here in this morning's paper is another reason to mount a campaign to energizeDenver voters:

Perhaps it's time for Denver civic leaders to take to the airwaves with a message targeting citizens who might miss the May 1 city election.

More than 100,000 Denver residents have been classified as "inactive" voters because they didn't vote in the November or January elections. That doesn't mean they can't vote in the May election - but it does mean they won't receive ballots for the all-mail election unless they request them.

I called in to the Mike Rosen show Friday when Mayor J-Hic was a guest. I asked him what he thought about all the problems at the Denver Art Museum. He said on the air that there are no problems, that attendance is ahead of projections, and that there are just some minor leaks around the skylights, no big problem with the roof.

I have a friend who works for the DAM (the DAM staff calls it Dan's Architectural Misfire) and he said that there was a staff meeting Friday announcing massive staff cuts because they are an additional $3 million in the red since the opening of the new addition because of the very, very poor attendance and all the problems with the construction. The ice damage to the roof is so profound it may have to be torn off and replaced, the marble floor is coming apart, etc.

J-Hic is either a liar of totally naive, I'm not sure which is worse.

What do you think about raising money for a write-in campaign like they had in California? Did you see the Jay Leno show where all the candidates were invited?

Here's the ballot for the May election in Denver:Click here: http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/564/documents/Official%20May%201%202007%20General%20Municipal%20Ballot.doc

What do you think of this idea? Let's start an "Anyone but J-Hic" campaign to encourage write-in campaigns for Mayor. Every write-in vote would be a vote taken away from J-Hic, might allow GOP in Denver to unite behind one write-in candidate (you?) and win or at least force a run-off. I think this is what happened with Schwarzenegger in CA after the recall was successful.

Please let me know what you think of this via return email to me, and please forward this along to anyone else you know who might be interested.

John

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I got several encouraging responses to the small batch of emails. Here is a sample with my response:

Even if a recall isn't successful, it could have the effect of alerting people to alternatives.

How can I help?

My response:

Right now you could write a letter to the editor of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, call into radio talk shows and talk up the idea, and RSVP to join us at the next New Denver Republican Meetup, making comments about the write-in effort in your RSVP. http://republican.meetup.com/511Also, please forward the email I sent you along to your online friends and associates, coveringit with your letter to the editor, encouraging them to consider running, campaigning for someone who decides to run, and also encouraging them to pass the email along!

Please consider joining us for the IDEA Cafe this Friday where we will be brainstorming ways to make this Anyone but J-Hic idea into a reality over the next few days, or email me your thoughts and I'll share them at the meeting. To RSVP for the IDEA Cafe, go to http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1

Also, please forward this along to any of your friends who might be interested in helping.

This weekend I'll be talking with lots of people and making a decision about whether to go ahead with this full steam and make a formal announcement at a news conference.

Together we can get Denver back into the hands of competent leadership!Thanks for your help!

I agree. So who? Seems to me and Anyone but J-Hic campaign would bring the right person up on the scope, we could all get behind him or her.

Can you join us for the IDEA Cafe this afternoon? 2 p.m. at Panera Bread, 13th & Grant near the Colorado State Captital.

We'll be brainstorming the idea of a seminar or special report "How to run for Mayor of Denver as a write-in candidate." RSVP at http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1 or just show up, no one will be turned away.

Even if "Anyone by J-Hic campaign" would bring the right person up on the scope, he/she would be perceived and defined as just someone who is not "J-Hic". It might be a better idea to find a person who would be an excellent Mayor on his/her own merit, not by contrast to J-Hic.

If a candidate is presented as a person who can handle such and such vital to Denver problems, then the tone and context of the campaign , would likely to attract broader audiences.

Your comment or question here is very welcome! Prefer to keep it confidential email me at John@JohnWren.com and it is best if you then call me at (303)861-1447 to make sure I take a look at your comment here or email. Thanks!

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Brainstorming?

5280 Magazine on John Wren and IDEA Cafe:

Every Friday for the last 10 years, local business consultant John Wren has infused the city with entrepreneurial spirit by hosting Idea Cafe, a conversation group for anyone starting a new career, business, or campaign.